Horticultural articles

Pea fertilizer (Pisum sativum) requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do ...
Read More

Beetroot fertilizer requirements can be calculated if you know your soil type and have a good idea of the yield potential of your land and climate. These are basic norms and your specific microclimate and variety can have an influence on the total amount applied. These norms do not take ...
Read More

When susceptible crop plantings follow at close intervals i.e. within 12 months or less, beet cyst nematode builds up in the soil to damaging population concentrations. High populations may reduce the yield by 20-40%. The beet cyst nematode was found in vegetable lands around cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape ...
Read More

The most well known beetroot varieties or cultivars are discussed here. When starting it is advisable to use at least 2-3 different varieties in a test field to assess which variety suits your growing conditions the best. Always keep on doing trials. Don't plant a variety just in one time ...
Read More

Harvesting beetroot Beetroots is harvested in phases. Initially when the bulbs are 25-40mm in diameter. Size will vary according to variety planted and time of season. This is the first harvest and is merely a thinning out process. The second and final harvest is when the bulbs are 50-75mm in ...
Read More

Beetroot mechanical weed control Weeds are controlled either by hand or chemically. Since beetroot seed is actually a small fruit with 2-6 seeds inside, the bunches of seedlings are thinned out so that only one seedling is left and at least 75mm apart. One of the biggest problems with weeds ...
Read More

It has already been mentioned in previous articles that the soil must be kept moist until the seedlings emerge. Light regular water applications must be applied from sowing until the seedlings emerge. heavy irrigation will make herbicides less effective. Beetroots grown during alternating dry and wet periods have poor quality ...
Read More

Sowing beetroot commercially Sowing beetroot is a practice used by commercial farmers. They are not planted with seedlings. Once the seed is cleaned and salts removed they are ready for sowing. In most cases a seed planter is used since commercial growers can plant 50 ha or more, especially for ...
Read More

Beetroot¹⁾By Downtowngal [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons seed treatment is mostly done by commercial seed companies. There are instances where local seed can be harvested. In this case it is important to understand why it must be washed so that low stands can be avoided. Beetroot seed appears ...
Read More

Pigeon pea climatic requirements The pigeon pea is susceptible to frost damage at all stages of growth.. The most favourable temperature range is between 18-29°C (64-85°F).  For best seed yields bright sunshine is essential. excessive cloud or shade produces spindly growth and poor seed set. There are short day, day ...
Read More